The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000* defines
"severe forms of trafficking in persons" as:
- "sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; or
- the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for labor services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery."
*Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, Public Law 106.386.Sec 103
Human trafficking is Modern-Day Slavery.
- 27 million slaves in the world today.
- Approximately 800,000 to 900,000 people are trafficked across international borders worldwide each year.
- Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the United
States each year. - Roughly 80% of those considered trafficked are women and
children. - Every 40 seconds a child is found missing or abducted. 1 of 3
teens on the street will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours
of leaving home . (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)
Asking the right questions will help you determine if the person in front of you is a victim of trafficking who needs your help.
(Be aware of trafficker presence.)
- What type of work are they doing?
- Were/Are they forced to perform sexual acts?
- Are they being paid?
- Is their salary being garnished to pay off a smuggling fee?
- Is their salary being garnished to pay off living fees (housing, food, clothing)?
- Can they leave their job situation if they want to?
- When they are not working, do they have freedom to come and go as they please?
- Is there a lock on the door or windows so they cannot get out?
- Have they been threatened with harm if they attempt to leave?
- Are they in possession of identification and travel documents? If not, who has control of those documents?
- Are they allowed to socialize or attend religious services?
- Can they freely contact family and friends?
- Were they coached on what to say to law enforcement and immigration officials?
- Were they recruited for one purpose and forced to engage in some other job?
- Do they have to ask permission to eat, sleep or go to the bathroom?
- Where do they sleep and eat in relation to work?
- Have they been deprived of food, water, sleep, medical care or other life necessities?